Species Profile
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
Peregrine Falcon
Quick Facts
Conservation
LCLeast ConcernAlso known as: Duck Hawk
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Appearance
The Peregrine Falcon is a striking raptor with a blue-grey back, barred white underparts, and a black head with distinctive facial markings. It has a hooked beak and powerful yellow legs with sharp talons.
Females are often darker than males but otherwise very similar in plumage. However, they are noticeably larger than males, often by up to 30%.
Juveniles have brown upperparts and streaked underparts, gradually moulting into adult plumage over their first year. Young birds are also streaked rather than barred below and have blueish (not yellow) skin around their eyes and the base of their bill.
Identification & Characteristics
Colors
- Primary
- Blue
- Secondary
- White
- Beak
- Black
- Legs
- Yellow
Attributes
Understanding Attributes
Rated 0–100 based on research and observation. A score of 50 is average across all bird species. These attributes are relative and don't necessarily indicate superiority.
Habitat & Distribution
Peregrine Falcons have a nearly worldwide distribution, absent only from Antarctica. They inhabit a wide range of environments, from Arctic tundra to tropical forests and, increasingly, urban areas.
They are right at home in many modern cities where rooftops and ledges make ideal nest sites, and feral Rock Doves provide a year-round food source.
In North America, they breed across Alaska and northern Canada, with populations in the western mountains and along both coasts. European populations are found from the UK to Russia, while they also occur across Australia and New Zealand.
Where and when to see it
How often the Peregrine Falcon turns up in the UK and Ireland through the year, from birdwatchers' records.
United Kingdom
Winter visitor · regularly Aug–Mar · most records in September
Ireland
Resident · all year · most records in August
Show as a table
| Month | United Kingdom | Ireland |
|---|---|---|
| January | 0.23% (regular) | 0.24% (regular) |
| February | 0.22% (regular) | 0.24% (regular) |
| March | 0.035% (regular) | 0.20% (regular) |
| April | – | 0.17% (regular) |
| May | – | 0.14% (regular) |
| June | – | 0.17% (regular) |
| July | – | 0.23% (regular) |
| August | 0.24% (regular) | 0.33% (regular) |
| September | 0.25% (regular) | 0.31% (regular) |
| October | 0.24% (regular) | 0.29% (regular) |
| November | 0.23% (regular) | 0.28% (regular) |
| December | 0.21% (regular) | 0.19% (regular) |
Recorded regularly in
Worldwide: recorded regularly in 178 countries
Countries where it was recorded in at least 3 of the 6 years 2019–2024. Linked countries have their own bird list.
Europe (38)
Africa (32)
- Algeria
- Angola
- Botswana
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Kenya
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mayotte
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nigeria
- Rwanda
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- South Africa
- Tanzania
- Tunisia
- Uganda
- Western Sahara
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Asia (44)
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- Brunei
- Cambodia
- China
- Cyprus
- Georgia
- Hong Kong SAR China
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Israel
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Macao SAR China
- Malaysia
- Mongolia
- Myanmar (Burma)
- Nepal
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Palestinian Territories
- Philippines
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Sri Lanka
- Taiwan
- Tajikistan
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Turkey
- United Arab Emirates
- Uzbekistan
- Vietnam
- Yemen
North America (41)
- Anguilla
- Antigua & Barbuda
- Aruba
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Bermuda
- British Virgin Islands
- Canada
- Caribbean Netherlands
- Cayman Islands
- Costa Rica
- Cuba
- Curaçao
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- El Salvador
- Greenland
- Grenada
- Guadeloupe
- Guatemala
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Jamaica
- Martinique
- Mexico
- Montserrat
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- Puerto Rico
- Sint Maarten
- St Barthélemy
- St Kitts & Nevis
- St Lucia
- St Martin
- St Pierre & Miquelon
- St Vincent & the Grenadines
- Trinidad & Tobago
- Turks & Caicos Islands
- United States
- US Virgin Islands
South America (14)
Oceania (9)
- Australia
- Christmas Island
- Fiji
- New Caledonia
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Palau
- Papua New Guinea
- US Outlying Islands
- Vanuatu
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made
Diet
Peregrine Falcons primarily hunt medium-sized birds, from pigeons to ducks, catching them in mid-air with their talons. They occasionally take small mammals and bats.
They are known to feed on hundreds or even thousands of different birds, ranging in size from Hummingbirds to Snow Geese and everything in between!
These falcons employ spectacular high-speed dives to strike their prey, often plucking birds out of the sky.
Behaviour
Peregrine Falcons are renowned for their high-speed hunting dives, or stoops, reaching speeds over 320 km/h (200 mph). They are solitary birds, only coming together during breeding season.
These falcons exhibit strong site fidelity, often returning to the same nesting locations year after year.
Calls & Sounds
Peregrine Falcons have a range of vocalisations, including a higher-pitched ‘chi chi chi’ and a loud, rapid 'kak-kak-kak' used as an alarm call or during territorial disputes.
During courtship, they produce a softer 'eechup' sound. When agitated, they may emit a high-pitched, piercing scream.
- Flight call0:00 / 0:10
Recorded in Lombardy, Italy · September 2022
Nesting & Breeding
Peregrine Falcons typically form monogamous pairs, engaging in elaborate aerial courtship displays during late winter or early spring. They do not build nests but rather scrape a depression on cliff ledges or use existing structures.
Females lay 3-4 eggs, which are reddish-brown in colour. Both parents share incubation duties, which last about 29-32 days. The eggs are oval and measure about 5 cm in length.
Chicks fledge at 35-42 days old but remain dependent on their parents for several more weeks as they perfect their flying and hunting skills.
Conservation
Peregrine Falcons have made a remarkable recovery since the ban of DDT in many countries. However, they still face threats from habitat loss, illegal hunting, and collisions with man-made structures.
Ongoing conservation efforts focus on nest site protection and urban habitat management.
Elevation
Sea level to 3,300 meters
Additional Details
- Predators:
- Adult Peregrine Falcons have few natural predators, but eggs and chicks may fall victim to large owls, eagles, and climbing mammals like raccoons.
Birdwatching Tips
- Look for Peregrines near cliff faces or tall buildings in urban areas
- Observe their distinctive, pointed wing shape during flight
- Listen for their loud, repetitive 'kak-kak-kak' calls
- In coastal areas, watch for their high-speed dives towards water birds
- Use a spotting scope to view distant perched birds on high ledges
Did You Know?
- Peregrine Falcons can spot prey from over 3 km away.
- They have been recorded diving at speeds of up to 389 km/h (242 mph), making them the fastest animals in the world (National Geographic TV program).
- Peregrine Falcons have been used in falconry for over 3,000 years.
- Seabirds are an important component of the Peregrine Falcon diet, particularly for coastal populations.
Records & Accolades
Fastest Flying Bird
389 km/h (242 mph) diving speed
Recorded as the fastest bird in level flight
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